Three U.S. Representatives have introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning U.S. President Donald Trump for his “racist rhetoric targeting Indian and Chinese Americans”. Two Indian-American lawmakers - Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pramila Jayapal - along with Congressman Ted Lieu co-sponsored the resolution, with five more legislators supporting the same.
The resolution explicitly condemns Trump for reposting a letter that referred to India, China and other countries as “hellholes” on his Truth Social account in April.
“When President Trump amplifies racist rhetoric targeting Indian Americans and Chinese Americans, it sends a dangerous message at a time when both communities already face hate and discrimination. The President of the United States should be condemning racism, not fueling it,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi in a statement.
South Asian community organisations including STOP AAPI Hate, South Asian Network and Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) also endorsed the resolution.
{{/usCountry}}South Asian community organisations including STOP AAPI Hate, South Asian Network and Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) also endorsed the resolution.
{{/usCountry}}The controversy began in late April after Trump posted the transcript of a conservative political talk show on his Truth Social account.
“A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring the entire family in from China or India or some other hellhole on the planet,” reads the show’s transcript, which was posted in its entirety by Trump on his account. The Trump administration has launched a legal effort to end birthright citizenship, which grants US citizenship to anyone born on US soil. The post sparked widespread condemnation and outrage both in India and the United States.
In an effort to dial down tensions, the spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi pointed to the US President’s past positive comments about India.
"The President has said 'India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top,' " the spokesperson said.
The controversy also came at a time when large sections of Indian-Americans voters were becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the Trump administration. According to a survey of Indian-Americans conducted by the Carnegie Endowment in 2026, 71% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with Donald Trump’s performance in office. When asked why they would not consider voting for Trump’s Republicans, 27% of respondents said they feared the party was intolerant towards minorities. That number was a sharp increase from the 17% of respondents who cited similar fears just two years before.
While the Indian government initially refrained from commenting on Trump’s controversial reference to India, it subsequently released a statement condemning the remarks as “uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste”.
“They certainly do not reflect the reality of the India-US relationship which has long been based on mutual respect and shared interests,” the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement at the time.